Lubricating means for sewing machines



Jan. 30, 1940.

O. R. HAAS LUBRICATING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed April 29, 1936 6 h sheet 1 M i ttormgs I Jan. 30, 1940. o. R. HAAS LUBRICATING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed April 29, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 I I l l Jan. 30, 1940.

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Patented Jam. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE :LUBRIC'ATING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES Otto RQHa-as, North Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of'Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application April 29, 1936,

Serial No.

76,924. Divided and this application April 6, 1938, Serial No. 200,410

17 Claims. (01.112-256) The present invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly to a lubricating system for shoe sewing machines and the like.'

The invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a lockstitch outsole shoe sewing machine forming the subject-matter of application Serial No.

76,924, filed April 29, 1936, the present application being a division of said case.

Due to the relatively high speed of operation of the shoe sewing machine disclosed in said application, it is essential that all moving parts of a the machine be adequately lubricated.

- The proper lubrication of a high speed shoe sewing machine, and more particularly of the various stitch-forming devices adjacent the sewing point as, for example, the needle, the needle supporting stud, and the shuttle or loop taker of a lockstitch out'sole shoe sewing machine is rendered diflicult by the fact that if lubricant is-supplied to-these parts in adequate quantities to insure proper lubrication, there is great likelihood of soiling'the work as a result of, exces's'lubricant leaking from the bearing surfaces, not only when the machine is running, but also after the machine has come to a stop.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a new and'improved system of lubrication for shoe sewing machines which will automatically'insure a supply of lubricant in ample quantities to all moving parts of the machine during the operation thereof without risk of the lubricant reaching the work.

.With this object in view, features of the present invention. contemplate new and improved means for providing a continuous supply of lubricant to the stitch forming devices of a shoe sew- .ing machine, and more particularly to the bearings of the curved hook needle and to the needle itself and needle guide of such a machine, and to the bearing of the shuttle or loop taker of a lockstitch shoe sewing machine.

Another feature of the invention includes means for automatically cutting off the supply of oil to certain of the partsupon stopping the machine.

These and other features of the invention including certain novel and improved constructions and arrangements of parts are herein described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, looking from,

the right, of a lockstitch shoe sewing machine embodying the features of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the head portion of the machine illustrated (in Figure l, with the work support 52.

covers removed and other parts broken away to show the oil distributing manifolds and certain,

of the oil supply pipes; Figure 3 is a sectional view in right hand side elevation of the machine head, illustrating a number of the actuating mechanisms for the stitch forming devices; Figure 4 is a view in right side elevation and insection, illustrating the shuttle and its oil collecting guard; Figure '5 is a plan view of the shuttle,

illustrating the lubricating fluid ihletiFigure 6 10 is a view in front elevation, partly in section, and on an enlarged scale, of the needle supporting stud and surrounding portions of themachine; Figure! is a 'detail sectional view' of the I,

needle and awl carrier stud; Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the needle guide and a portion of the needle stud, showing the oilpassage for lubricating the needle; Figure 9 'is an enlarged detail view of the needle guide and I stud, the stud being shown in section; Figure 10 is a detail sectional view,taken along the line Ill-l0 of Figure '7, the parts being shown in the position they assume when the machine is stopped; and Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, but with the parts shown in a running position. v

The machine illustrated in the drawings, and in-which the present invention is embodied, is a high speed manually controlled wax thread shoe sewing machine of the type employed to sew the outsole to a welted upper. The head frame, indicated' at I2, includes the stitch forming devices and their actuating mechanisms and is supported on a vertical pedestal l4 securedto a base it; A driving motor I8 secured to the base l6 operates to rotate the main sewing shaft 20015 the machine in clockwise direction through a 'belt 22 and a driving pulley 24 of the driving and stopping mechanism, which mechanism is substantially the same as that illustrated and described in the presentinventors U. S. Patent No.

2,078,942 of May 4, 1937. A foot-operated treadle 26 controls the operation of the driving and stop:

ping mechanism through a treadle rod 28.

1 advancing the work continuously by alternating feeding movements of the presser foot and work support as a unit while the work is clamped, and of the needle and awl as a unit when the presser foot is raised from the work. Certain of the devices are actuated by trains of mechanism from cam discs on the main sewing camshaft '26, while other devices are driven by connections from cam discs mounted on a supplementary cam shaft 54 at the rear of the shaft 26 and rolever 6 and the cam-actuated lever for raising.

and lowering the presser foot is indicated at v66.

For a more complete description of the various actuating mechanisms, reference may be had to application Serial No. 76,924 above referred to.

Due to the relatively high speed at which the present machine is designed to be operated, the lubricating system is arranged to supply oilautomatically to all bearing surfaces whenever the machine is in operation. To catch the oil thrown ,ofi by the cams and other moving parts and to ,enable the oil to be recirculated, the head frame .of the machine is entirely enclosed by oil rejtaining covers except for suitably shaped open,- ings for the stitch forming and work feeding .devices. The frame is so arranged that all the oil'collected by the covers is drained into a common reservoir or sump 58 located within a downwardly projecting cylindrical member l't! which forms a portion of the head frame IQ of the machine. To permit the machine head to be raised @or lowered as required for theconvenience of the operator, the cylindrical member it is received for vertical sliding movement in the upper end of the pedestal M, the pedestal being slotted and provided with bolts I2 by which the member 10 maybe clamped in adjusted position.

The machine is provided with a rotary pump 14 located at the rear of the machine (see Fig. 2 and driven continuously while the machine is in operation by the supplementary cam shaft 54. Oil is drawn fromthe sump 158 through a pipe 3 6 up to the pump M from which the oil is supplied under pressure through a pipe M3 to a horizontally elongated manifold 86 mounted at the upper rear portion of the machine frame substantially parallel to the cam shaft 29. A second manifold 82 is provided at the front upper portion of the machine and is supplied with oil from the manifold through a pipe 83'. manifold 82 is fan-shaped, having radially disposed outlets. v I

From the manifolds the oil is distributed to the various operating parts of the machine, the horizontally extending manifold 89 supplying through tubes 86 those bearings and parts which are arranged more or less in line, namely,v the sewing cam shaft 20, the cams, cam levers, -etc., while the fan-shaped manifold 82 supplies oil to the stitch-forming devices, which are grouped in a unit or cluster at the front of the machine. The lubricant is applied to the bearing surfaces in various ways, in certain instances the oil being sprayed through reduced orifices onto the operating parts, and in others the flow of oil is limited to approximate the requirements ofthe parts to discharge the oilflwithin the main frame.

The v 2,1 eases mechanism is fully illustrated and described in 2,078,942 above the inventors S. Patent No. referred to;

To prevent the oil thrown off by "the cams I on the mainsewing shaft from? reaching the work operated upon, there is I provided a baiile plate (see Fig. 3) extending, across the'front of the machine between the needle and awl stud, I

and the connections for operating the needle and awl.

To prevent the oil deflected by the baiile plate from dripping onto the operatingconnections at the upper edge of the opening through which the connections pass, there is secured to the lower edge of the plate a semicircularoil conducting trough orchannel 86.

either side of the openingto collect and conductl5 The channel piece .85 extends downwardly at the oilintercepted by the baffle plate into the" machine frame, where. it flows rearwardly into the sump 6B; 7

manifold :82 is connected with a tube, 58 (Figs. 2 and 5) which carries oil to theupper surface 89 9f the guideway for the shuttle. Along the tube 38 close to the manifold 82 is connected a flow restricting orifice member Bil. From the guideway surface 39 oil is conducted to the guideway 93 for the thread case through a passage .92. Any additional,- oil whicheollets on the thread case or the shuttle "is carried by gravity into .an upwardly curved concave metal guard 93 (see Iig. 4) surrounding .the lower part of the shuttle..- The guard 33 is .of the'proper cit of the take-up, with the result that whipping of the needle loop is substantially eleminated.

At the right-end of the guard there is formed an open rearwardly extending trough portion 94 the shuttle and thread case and arranged to oneof the covers of The needle and awl supporting stud, indicated ,at 96 (see Figs. .6 to 11) is formed with a central oil conducting passage 88, the o-pen'end'of which is closed by .a nut ltd. The stud is constructed in substantially the-same manner, except for the lubricating passage, as in the machine of inventors Patent No. 2,037,721 of. April 21, 1936, one end of thestud being supported in a plain bearing 1.92 secured tn the machine frame while the other end is received in. a threaded bearing I04. mounted on the feed carriage its; of the a gear segment Hi) by which the stud is oscil line of feed.

I M surrounds the stud $5 withinthe be i It. These openings are arranged tc be in align -.ment at certain times in the machine cycle with 1 i .an' oil passage H8 formed in the bearing H32 3 .for the'right hand end .of the stud, las shown'in 20 To lubricate the shuttle and thread case, the I -45 I i 1 in. for conducting excessoil rearwardly away from i J 0 machine. Surroundingthe stud 96 and operating, as a unit therewith is a sleeve lllfiprovided with 'the surface of the bearing I02 and back to the Fig. 11.: The passage "8 extends-from the out- I ;main: frame in a manner previously described.v I

"let rearwardly through the bearing I02 to they point of'attachment -of the bearing on the machine-frame (seeFig. '1) where it joins a pass'age I in the frame I2 connected to theoil distributing..manifold 82 by: a tube I22; A-fiow limiting j'orifi'ce I24 between the tube and the, manifold serves to restrict, the flow of oil under I pressure to a few drops perminute. I Apartoh the oil supplied through the passage inbearingq I02 is conducted along the passage 98 in the "stud and through 'a'radial opening I20 at the left end thereof to lubricate thethreaded bearing .lI-04 carried by the feed carriage. Any surplus oiln'ot consumed in' lubricating the bearing surfaces may run down the underside of the bearings I02 and I04 rearwardlytowards the mainframe I2 of the machine;

" .To receive the surplus oiltfrom the bearing I02; there isdisposed beneath the same. a for warclly projecting flange I28 (see Fig. 3)forming aj'portion' of the machine, frame. The flang'eis inclined downwardly to the rear so that any oil I guideway surface projects beyond the upper surdeposited on its upper surface flows back into the'machine frame and returns to the sump 00.

The bearing I04 for the; left end of the needle and awl stud 96 is arranged just 'abovea guideway I I30 between parallel. guiding surfaces of which a rod I32 carrying the looper is slidinglymounted. The lower forward edge of the face and is provided with an oil receiving groove I34. within which surplus oil from' the guideway' surfaces maybe caught. The groove I34 is soar- 'ranged that oil dripping from the bearing I04 will fall on and lubricate. the loopercarrier rod I32, any excess oil beingcollected inthegroove I34 and thence conducted back into the machine frame. I

To enable vthe needle to be lubricated, a sleeve vportion I36 of the needlesegmentindicated at I38; is formed with a radialpassage I40 (Fig. 8) brought into alignment at certain timesduring operation of the machine with a radial. opening I42 in the stud 96. The needle guide-34 which surrounds the hub of the needle segment. is pro-: vided with a circumferential grove I44 around its inner bearing surface-"The grove I44 registers with the outer end of radial passage I40 in'the needle stud, and is connected with an outwardly directed passage I45 in the main bodyof 'the needle guide 34. At its outermost end, the passage" I45 bends at an angle and follows the contour of the needle guide to its'tip. The opening at the end of the passage I46 is closed by the side'of the needle, and any oil finding.;its way through the passage of the needle guide is brought into contact with the needle so as to be distributed" along the bearingsurfaces between the needle and the needle guide.

When the machine is brought to rest by the driving and stopping me'chani'sm,it is desirable that the supplyof oil be cut off from the needle and mid stud so that there will be vnoaccun'iulation on the 's'titch-forming 'devicesj Accordingly,

the openings III and H5 in the stud and'awl segment are'so arranged that they will not regi'sterwith each other when the machine is stopped, as shown in Fig. 10. v As a further precaution the outer bearing surface of the awl seg-' ment sleeve H2 is formed with a bypass groove I48 which, when the machine is stopped, registers at one end with an opening I50 provided at the side of the bearing in such relation that the oil forced through the groove will be carried along The by-pass groove I48 prevents a pressure from "being built up in tube. I22 and passage II 8 while themachine is stopped so that when the machine .is restarted the parts willnot suddenly be flushed I :with oil. I I

In order to provide a more accurate shapeyfor the'needle guiding opening of the needle guide .34, and tosimplify theconstruction of the oil passagetherein, the outer tip of the needle guide is made separate from the main body portion a curved hole which'will fit the shape ofthe needle, the outer. tip, indicated at I52, of the needle guide is formed in a mold, either of metal .or. synthetic resinous material'and is secured to the mainbody pcrtionrby means of dowel pins I54 and a small screw I56. Molding materials of the synthetic resin type ordinarily are notof :thereof. Due to difficulties in forming accurately sufficient .strength and rigidity to provide adequate support for the needle, but by forming the main-body of the needle guide 34 of steel,-.suitable reinforcement is provided to withstand theordinary strains imparted during sewing. I

In order not to block the free movement of oil through the'passage I46 in the needle guide, the

inner surface of the main body portion of the needle guide which registers with the surface of the'separate tip I52 is counter-bored around the screw I56, as indicated in Figure 9, the oil passing freely throughthe circular channel thus formed. 7 I A part of the passage I46 is formed in the separate tip I52 of the needle guide, so that when clamped in overlapping relation by the screw-l56 no breakinthe continuity of the passage I46.

will occur. I

"The nature and scope of the present invention having beenindicated, and a-specific embodiment thereof having been illustrated and described,

. mechanisms for said devices, an oil retaining cas ing surrounding said mechanisms, means for providing a continuous .supply of lubricating oil to the loop taker'bearing, and a loop-deflector surrounding the loop talrer'and having a con cavity to conduct surplus oilfrom the bearing back into the oil retaining casing.

f2. A sewingmachine having, in combination,

aimain sewing shaft, thread manipulating and.

, stitch forming devices at the front and to one "side of the sewing shaft, actuating mechanisms for said devices drivenfrom thesewing shaft, an oil retaining casing surrounding the sewing shaft 7 -.and'said mechanisms'means for providing a c'on- 'tinuous supply of lubricant to the actuating mechanis'ms, and a baffle plate disposed between the sewing shaft and said devices to conduct oil thrown off 'centrifugally from the sewing shaft back to theoil-retaining casing. I g

3. Asewing machine havingy'incombination,.

stitch forming devices comprising a curved nee dle, a'hollow oscillatory needle supporting stud, and stud supporting bearings, one'of' which is provided with means for'supplying oil through the stud to lubricate. the other bearing.

dle, actuating mechanisms for said devices, an oil retaining casing surrounding said mechanisms,

, 7 o 4. A-sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices comprisinga curved nee- ,bearings, "one'of which is provided with a passage ior supplying. oil through the stud to lubricate the other, and means for draining the surplus 'oil irom said bearings back into the oil retaining casing.

5'. A sewing machine'having, in combination, stitch forming devices comprising a curved hook needle and a looper, actuating mechanisms for said devices, an oil retaining casing surrounding said mechanisms, an oscillatory needle stud; stud supporting bearings, and a looper supporting bearing disposed to receive surplus oil from one of said needle stud bearingsand .drain it back into the oil retaining casing.

6. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices comprising a curved neea hollow oscillatory needle supporting stud having radial openings'therein, a stud support ing bearing provided with an oil discharging opening arranged to register with a radial opening in the needle stud in one oscillatory" position I of" said stud, and a driving and stopping mecha nism for bringing the stitch forming devices to rest with said radial opening in the needle stud out of registry with the oil opening in said bearing to prevent the flow. of oil from the oil opening to the radial opening.

-7. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices comprising a curved needle, ahollow oscillatory needle supporting stud radial openings therein, a stud supporting bearing provided with an oil discharging opening arranged to register with a radial opening in'the needle stud in one oscillatory position of said stud, means-.for supplying a restricted quantity'of oil under pressure to said oil opening, and "means rendered efiective when the met-- chine is stopped to by-pass the oilv in the oil w opening before it enters the stud.

8. A sewing machine having, in combination, 1 1 stitch forming devices comprising a curved needie, a hollow oscillatory needle supporting stud having radial openings therein, a stud supporting bearing provided with an oil discharging opening arranged to register with a radial opening in the needle stud in one oscillatory position, of said stud, means for supplying a restricted quantity of oil under pressure to said oil opening, and asleeve between the stud and said bearing formed with a by-pass groove to relieve the pressure of the oil in the oil opening when the sleeve is moved to a predetermined position 9. A sewing machine having, in combination,

stitch forming devices comprising a curved needle and a curved awl, segments to which the needle and awl are secured, a needle and awl Supporting stud, a stud supporting bearing provided with anoil discharging opening, and means comprising a portion of one of said segments formed witha by-pass to relieve the pressure in the oil discharging opening when the-stitch forming devices are in predetermined positions.

10. A sewing machine having, in combination,

4 stitch forming devices comprising a curved work penetrating needle, and means for directing fluid against the needle comprising a needle guide having a fluid receiving passage arranged at one end to be covered by the sideof the needle. 1

11. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices comprising a curved Work penetrating needle, means for supplying lubriand means between the orifice and the needle \guide' passage actuated, .when the machine is v stopped, tocut off the supply of lubricant to,

said passage to prevent an accumulation of lubricant on the needle.

limiting orifice for restricting thequantity of -lubricant supplied to the needle, guide passage; M g; H and cut-off means between the orificea'nd the .needle guide passage to prevent an accumulation oflubricant on the needle. 7

12. A sewing machine having, in combination,

stitch forming'devicesComprising a curved work '10" I penetrating needldabearing stud having' 'an outlet along its bearingsurface for a supply of .1

fluid under pressure, a needle guide supportedon said bearingstud having a passage arranged atone end to receive fluid. from said'ou'tlet and A at the other end to beclosed by the side of the needle.

13. A sewing machine having, incombinationf stitch forming devicesscomprising a, curved work penetrating needle, means 'forsupplyi'ng lubri- 9 cant under pressure to the-needle comprisingfa needle guide having a passage arranged at one end to be covered by the needle, a lubricant con; ducting tube havinga restriction to limit the quantity of oil sup'pliedto the'needle guide pa'ssage, and'means for bypassingthe lubricant between the needle guide'and the res'triction'in I the conducting tube when the machine is stopped. 14:. Asewing machine having, in combination,

1 stitch forming devicescompri sing a curved work'iuQ penetratingneedleJand a:guide member con structed in two parts secured together, one of said parts being formed by molding whilein a l I 7 plastic condition with a curved needle guiding hole of exact size and'lengthwise curvature to fit -35 v the-needle, and the other .ofsaid parts being formed oi metal of sufiicientistrength to, with-1:

stand the strains impartedjby the needle during sewing.

'15. A sewing machine having, in combination- 2 I stitch forming devices comprising a curved workpenetrating needle,"anda needle guidemember I constructed-in two parts,one} of which serves asf a support arm and the other'oiwhich engages the needle, at least one of said parts beii 1g?', grooved along a registering surface to forma fluid conducting passage-from the support arm I i" to the needle engaging'part when, clamped 'together in overlapping relation. i

' '16. A shoe machine having, in combinatiomla pedestal, a head above the pedestal having a vertical cylindricalportion at its lower part*releas' ably clamped for suitable adjustment vertically within the pedestal, operating'devices within-the head, means for distributing lubricant in said head, and a lubricantcollecting sump within the i cylindrical portion'of the head.

17. A sewing machine having, in combination,

stitch forming devices comprising a curved work penetrating needle, means fortsupplying, lubricant under pressure to the needle comprising a; r

needle guide having .a'passage arranged at one end to be covered bythe side of; the needle,: a

flow-limiting orifice for restricting the quantity of lubricant supplied to the needle'guide passage,

oT'ro R. HAAs, 

